Wild Kingdom
Disney's Wild Kingdom is the fourth of four theme parks built at the Walt Disney World Resort in It was dedicated and opened to the public during Earth Day on April 22, 2026. It is the largest theme park in the world, covering 600 acres The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself. Disney's Wild Kingdom is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning they have met or exceeded the standards in education, conservation, and research. The park is represented by the Tree of Life, a sculpted 145-foot-tall (44 m), 50-foot-wide (15 m) artificial tree. Dedication Welcome to a kingdom of animals... real, ancient and imagined: a kingdom ruled by lions, dinosaurs and dragons; a kingdom of balance, harmony and survival; a kingdom we enter to share in the wonder, gaze at the beauty, thrill at the drama, and learn. — Michael D. Eisner, April 22, 1998 Areas Disney's Wild Kingdom is divided into 8 themed areas. Oasis The Oasis is a themed land and is the main entrance of Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Along with providing various guest services, the Oasis features a number of animal habits. Guests can encounter muntjacs, spoonbills, ducks, wallabies and giant anteaters, among other animals. The main paths lead deeper into the park, and onto Discovery Island. A Rainforest Cafe is also located at the entrance of the Oasis, although technically it is outside the park boundaries. Guests may dine at the restaurant without entering the park, while guests entering the restaurant from within the park are actually exiting the park and must present their admission tickets to return to the park. Discovery Island Discovery Island is located at the center of the park, in the middle of the Discovery River waterway. It is the "central hub" connecting the other sections of the park, with the exception of Rafiki's Planet Watch. The Tree of Life, the park's sculpted, man-made Baobab tree, is located in this section and is surrounded by trails and animal enclosures showcasing Abdim's storks, black crowned cranes, black-necked swans, blue-and-yellow macaws, Cape teals, chitals, collared brown lemurs, eastern grey kangaroos, Galápagos tortoises, Greater flamingos, Knob-billed ducks, Lesser flamingos, Oriental small-clawed otters, plumed whistling ducks, red kangaroos, red-and-green macaws, ring-tailed lemurs, roseate spoonbills, saddle-billed storks, salmon-crested cockatoos, silver teal, white storks, white-faced whistling ducks, and woolly-necked storks. The park's largest gift shops and two of its major restaurants are on Discovery Island, each with a different design theme, such as décor based on nocturnal animals, insects and so forth. Africa Africa is one of the original areas of the park. Set in the fictional east African village of Harambe, this area contains several animal exhibits. The village is a namesake of the Harambe Wildlife Preserve, the fictional home of Africa's main attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris. Guests climb aboard an open-sided safari vehicle for an expedition to see numerous African animals freely roam through acres of savanna, rivers and rocky hills, including reticulated giraffes, hippos, African elephants and lions. On the adjacent Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, visitors trek into the forest in search of the gorillas. Along the way, the guest goes on a nature walk through a verdant African valley filled with Nile hippos, birds and fish. According to Disney legend, Harambe was once part of a Dutch colony, but a peaceful revolution made Harambe self-governing in 1963. Today, Harambe is the starting point for tourists and students who want to observe Africa's animals in their natural habitat. Asia Asia is an Themed Area Along with showcasing animals from throughout the continent, Asia is also the home of of the park's thrill rides. Just as the park's Africa section is set in the fictional village of Harambe, guests to Asia find themselves in the village of "Anandapur", which means "place of delight" in Sanskrit. During its history, the village was part of a larger kingdom, also called Anandapur, which was ruled by benevolent maharajahs. Since then, the "residents" of the village have devoted much of the outskirts to the conservation and study of the region's animal life. Rafiki's Planet Watch The location is named after Rafiki from the 1994 Disney animated feature film The Lion King. Guests board the Wildlife Express Train for the short trip to and from the land, which consists of three distinct areas. Guests first encounter the Habitat Habit!, where they can see cottontop tamarins and learn about the efforts to protect these endangered primates in their natural homes. Along the way, guests can also learn how to provide animal habitats in and around their own homes. Conservation Station showcases the various conservation efforts supported by the Walt Disney Company. It also gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into Disney's Animal Kingdom's animal care facilities, including a veterinary examination room complete with a two-way communications system so the veterinary staff can answer guest questions. Outside, Affection Section is a petting zoo which features goats, sheep and other domesticated animals. It is also the only section of the park that is connected to Discovery Island & Africa. Beastly Kingdom Disney's Wild Kingdom was to focus on three broad classifications of animals: those that exist in today's reality; those that did exist, but are now extinct (i.e., dinosaurs); and those that only exist in the realm of fantasy. Beastly Kingdom was to feature mythical animals such as unicorns, dragons, sea monsters, & dinosaurs featuring realms of both good and evil creatures: * The Evil Side was to be dominated by Dragon Tower, a ruined castle home to a greedy fire-breathing dragon who hoarded a fabulous treasure in the tower chamber. The castle was also inhabited by bats who planned to rob the dragon of his riches. They were to enlist the guests' help in their scheme and whisk them off on a thrilling suspended roller coaster ride through the castle ruins. The climax of the ride was to be an encounter with the evil dragon himself, resulting in a nearly barbecued train of guests. * The Good Side was to be home to Quest of the Unicorn, an adventure that would send guests through a maze of medieval mythological creatures to seek the hidden grotto where the unicorn lives. Finally, the Fantasia Gardens attraction was to be a musical boat ride through animal scenes from Disney's animated classic, Fantasia. The ride was to feature both the crocodiles and hippos from "Dance of the Hours" and the Pegasus, fauns, and centaurs from Beethoven's "Pastoral. * The Primeval Side was to be the year of the dinosaurs for 65 million years ago The fictitious Dino Institute and its surrounding facilities attract those with a scientific interest in the long-extinct animals, while Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama recalls the many roadside attractions that were once scattered throughout the United States. Like the other sections of Disney's Animal Kingdom, there are animals on display. The animals, such as the American crocodile, red legged seriemas, Abdim's stork and Asian brown tortoise, have evolutionary links to the age of the dinosaurs. They are animal species that have survived since the dinosaur era and can be found along the Cretaceous Trail along with a collection of Mesozoic plants. This area is the home of Dinosaur, a thrill ride featuring a trip through time to the Late Cretaceous Period. Just outside the Institute is "Dino-Sue", a casting of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil that is the most complete yet found. At the nearby Boneyard, there is a multi-leveled playground area with a Columbian mammoth fossil to be uncovered, and a cast skeleton of a Brachiosaurus. Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama, has the TriceraTop Spin ride, while Primeval Whirl is a spinning roller coaster. Throughout the area are carnival games and gift shops, as well as chances to meet Disney characters. Camp Minnie-Mickey North America Category:Disney World Canada Category:Animal theme parks